Spicy Garlic and Ginger Chicken with Green Beans

Happy Friday!

I knew this recipe had potential when I looked at the ingredients.  But, I tweaked it a bit knowing that sesame oil isn't meant for cooking (too unstable) but rather drizzled as a finishing garnish.  And, following the tried and true method for all good Asian stir fries.  I watched my mom do it as I grew up and the general formula for a good stir fry is simple.  You get the vegetable oil nice and hot in the pan, add aromatics (like garlic, ginger, and onions) to start your base flavor if you're using them.  Add the meat.  Add the veggies.  Finish with sauce.  Easy peasy, right?

Perhaps the best loved thing about stirfy is the fact that it's so quick to pull a meal together.  Equally easy is the ability to customize it to your liking or use up whatever lonely leftover ingredients you might have.  You can mix and match your meats (like I substituted chicken for the shrimp in this recipe) and veggies.  The real deciding factor in determining a good and bad stir fry meal is the sauce.  And this sauce is a flavorful winner! One of the best I've ever had.

One Year Ago: Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes
Three Years Ago: Chicken Parmesan

PS: Have you shared and commented on last week's Mac and Cheese Monday #1 post?  Only 2 entries to date so the chance to win is great!  Also, sharing entry #2 on Monday so check back to see what I made and to enter again!

Spicy Garlic and Ginger Chicken with Green Beans

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1.5 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tsp chili sauce (recommend Sriracha!)
• 2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 4 tsp cold water
• 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3-4 cups green beans, steamed
• Sesame oil
• Sesame seeds

Directions

1. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar  sugar, garlic, ginger, 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and chili sauce in a bowl.  Whisk to combine and then set aside.
2. In a large non-stick skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat until shimmering.  Add the chicken and cook until white and nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Add the steamed green beans to the skillet.  Pour in sauce mixture and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.  Add the cornstarch slurry.  Return to a simmer and cool until thickened (it should coat a spoon).
3. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Serve over rice.

Source: Modified from Stephanie Cooks

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

In honor of the US Elections on Tuesday I offered my facebook fans the option of voting on the recipe that I would share on Wednesday.  The results were unanimous.  As I'm typing this blog post, I'm watching the results of the election come in.  No matter what side you're on, I think we can all agree that this recipe is delicious.  And that's something we can all unite around :).

I apologize in advance for the less than stellar photo.  I brought this dish to Thanksgiving themed Dinner Club as a last minute dessert when Emily and Scott could no longer make it.  You see, they were in charge of our only planned dessert for the evening and also our regular "event" photographers.  But they had a great excuse for missing their first dinner club since we started about 3 years ago.  Emily and Scott are the proud new parents of twin girls - Paige and Claire!  They came much earlier than expected but everyone's healthy and well.

As for the cake?  It was amazing!  Moist and full of Fall flavors.  But the best part has to be the fact that it's just dressed up boxed cake mix.  You heard me!  And Shhhh!  Don't give away this little secret because no one would suspect ;).

PS: Have you shared my Macaroni and Cheese Mondays post yet and left a comment letting me know you've shared?  Nobody has yet which makes me really sad.  Remember, prizes are at stake here!  And while I wouldn't mind keeping one of these great cookbooks for myself, they're really meant for one of my wonderful readers!

One Year Ago: Strip House Potatoes Romanoff and Chicken and Roasted Root Vegetable Pot Pie
Three Years Ago: Pumpkin Pie Fudge and Marinara Magnifica

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1/3 cup water
• 1 can (15 oz) pureed pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 box (18 oz) yellow cake mix
• 1 tsp baking soda

For the topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted

For the glaze

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.  Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.
3. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter and pour the batter into the pan.
4. In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for the topping.  Sprinkle over the top of the cake using your fingers.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Combine the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and continue to stir until all the sugar dissolves.
6. When the cake is finished baking, poke holes over the entire cake surface using a fork or a skewer.  Pour the glaze all over the cake.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Heather's Dish as seen on Pretty. Good. Food.

Mac and Cheese Contest Entry #1: Best Potluck Mac and Cheese

Here is the first installation of what I'll call Mac and Cheese Mondays.  I will be sharing the contest entries that I received each Monday and giving my reviews.

Remember, each time you SHARE MY MAC AND CHEESE POST using your favorite social media (such as your own blog, facebook, twitter, google+, pintrest, etc.) and leave a comment with your email address and the link showing me that you shared is a chance for you, my reader, to win!  You can do this once per recipe for a total of seven (7) entries.  There are two great Mac and Cheese cookbooks at stake: Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown and Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin.

The first entry that I'm sharing was submitted by Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking.  She modified it slightly from Cook's Country and per her blog post, uses it as a quick freezer meal when accompanied by a healthy side salad to balance the meal.

This mac and cheese was pretty classic for those that like the baked type of mac and cheese.  Everyone knows that a great mac and cheese has to incorporate good quality cheese that's freshly grated from the block for the smoothest texture so that's where I began with this recipe.  But I was surprised by the lack of cheesy flavor given the nice mix of 3 different cheeses in the sauce.  Perhaps I just didn't add enough salt "to taste" but the cheese flavor was quite subdued.  Instead, the onion flavor was most prominent to me.  It was unexpected, but still nice.   My favorite part about this recipe was the nice toasted crunch topping which was studded with Parmesan cheese.  Not only does it provided a great texture and flavor contrast but it makes the mac and cheese look pretty, too!  However, I personally find that the crunch topping comes at the expense of a less creamy mac and cheese and that's just not something I'm willing to trade off.  I'm hoping through this contest I'll be able to find that perfect balance but this isn't it for me.

Thank you Sarah for your entry and looking forward to trying the six others still yet to be made!

Edited to add: I actually enjoyed the leftovers of this more than the fresh dish!  It seemed to get creamier and more balanced in flavor with time.  The cheese flavor was still quite mild but it seemed creamier when reheated in the microwave!  That said, perhaps this is indeed a good freezer meal candidate :).

Best Potluck Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 3-4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, 4 Tbsps of which are melted
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb elbow macaroni (Sarah likes to use cavatappi)
• 5 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmet
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 2 dried bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 cups shredded American cheese (use block American cheese from the deli countery.  Prewrapped slices will result in a drier sauce)
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Pulse bread, melted butter, and Parmesan in a food processor until ground into a coarse crumb.  Transfer to a bowl.
3. Cook pasta in bowling salted water until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
4. In the now-empty pasta pot over medium heat, melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until foaming.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly until mixture turns light brown, about 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in milk, onion, bay leaves, nutmet, and salt and pepper.  Cook until mixture, stirring occasionally, until it begins to simmer and is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  Remove the pot off the heat and then slowly whisk in cheeses, stirring until the cheese fully melts.  Stir in cooked macaroni until coated.
5. Transfer macaroni and cheese mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the bread crumb mixture.  Bake until cheese is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Source: Slightly modified from Cook's Country as submitted by Sarah of A Taste of Home Cooking